1. Field
One or more embodiments described herein relate to a battery protection circuit and a battery pack including a battery protection circuit.
2. Description of the Related Art
A battery pack may include a circuit to protect a secondary battery from being damaged during charging or discharging operations. A battery protection circuit may include a self-control protection (SCP) element which actively opens a fuse in order to protect the secondary battery from being overcharged and over-discharged.
Various methods have been used to control the operation of an SCP element. One method involves mounting a micro-controller unit (MCU) in the battery pack to monitor overcharge or over-discharge conditions. The MCU controls operation of the SCP element when either condition is detected. Another method involves mounting a protective integrated circuit (IC) in the battery pack, in addition to the main battery IC. The protective IC detects overcharge or over-discharge conditions and controls operation of the SCP element accordingly. However, both methods tend to increase costs.